good article by Forde

[BoulderSooner79]

I think this one is spot-on. His main point is that this new big12-2 is a temporary solution and may not last a decade. I tend to agree.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=5287646

[Sooner95]

Good read thanks.

My question is this. What if Texass returns to average, like they were in the 80's early 90's. Will they be as coveted? I know they are big now, but alot of that success has come over the past ,say, 10-15yrs..OU still has more titles than said TX, yet..the media paints them as the middle kid who gets no attention..lol

I agree, conf realignment will happen again, and probably sooner than 10yrs, but Texas and USC have not always been the Top programs..at one time one could have thrown Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama....

What if this was 1992...Miami would be one of the most coveted programs would they not coming off of 4 titles in 8 yrs?

I guess it is all relevant to the current status of programs and what have you done for me lately.. cash in now before you are 8-4 again..lol

[JPNSKER]

The thing I hate to think about, is ut joining the Big10 down the road. Not because I'm afraid of their team, but just the fact that we'd have to deal with all their arrogance again.

I doubt it will happen, but like the article said, there may be another run at mega conferences in the next decade. Fortunately, the Big10 won't give them any preferential treatment like they so desire, but we'll see....

[BoulderSooner79]

If UT (or OU) lose elite status down the road, the clout will be lost as well. But that would take a while because the clout comes from viewers, not winning. Fans will trickle away with less winning, but it takes time. Add this new deal to form the big12-2 is bolstering both OU and UTs position to make that less likely to happen. But if either either team makes a poor coaching hire in the future, it could happen regardless of $$$ resources.

[King Barry's Back]

Good read thanks.

My question is this. What if Texass returns to average, like they were in the 80's early 90's. Will they be as coveted? I know they are big now, but alot of that success has come over the past ,say, 10-15yrs..OU still has more titles than said TX, yet..the media paints them as the middle kid who gets no attention..lol

I agree, conf realignment will happen again, and probably sooner than 10yrs, but Texas and USC have not always been the Top programs..at one time one could have thrown Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama....

What if this was 1992...Miami would be one of the most coveted programs would they not coming off of 4 titles in 8 yrs?

I guess it is all relevant to the current status of programs and what have you done for me lately.. cash in now before you are 8-4 again..lol



That's all irrelevant. When OU was awful in the 90s -- we had our down phase just after TX -- Sooner fans still watched the games on TV. And OkSt fans still watched OU games, because they didn't know what else to do with themselves.

Just like TX, only moreso.

OK has a population of what, 3.5 million? TX has a population of what, 23 million? That's the difference between the two programs.

[Sooner95]

Good point...

TX 24.7mil

OK 3.7mil

[Sooner95]

FL- 18mil have to wonder when they will want their own TV network too then...

[soonervegas]

Florida has one. When I go there in the summer I get to watch a good 2-3 classic Florida games. I forgot what the network is called....

[Sooner Eclipse]

Florida has one. When I go there in the summer I get to watch a good 2-3 classic Florida games. I forgot what the network is called....

Sunshine network... usually UF FSU and UM games.

[ouleaf]

Yeah, i think all we did by keeping the conference intact for the moment was put a band-aid over a gaping wound. This just bought us a little extra time to allow Texas to set up their own network and rule the conference politically and monetarily. Texas has no reason to leave the conference then if they making all that money.

[Rocko]

Good point...

TX 24.7mil

OK 3.7mil

While it may be false but I have heard on many occasions that currently the University enrolls more Texans than it does natives. Being a Texan myself and going to OU with about 8 other people from my school alone, I could see how this is possible. So while Texas may be a larger population, a good portion of prospective students come from there as well as alumni.

[HBick]

While it may be false but I have heard on many occasions that currently the University enrolls more Texans than it does natives. Being a Texan myself and going to OU with about 8 other people from my school alone, I could see how this is possible. So while Texas may be a larger population, a good portion of prospective students come from there as well as alumni.

Enrollment #'s

Oklahoma 48%+/-
Texas 51% +/-

[King Barry's Back]

While it may be false but I have heard on many occasions that currently the University enrolls more Texans than it does natives. Being a Texan myself and going to OU with about 8 other people from my school alone, I could see how this is possible. So while Texas may be a larger population, a good portion of prospective students come from there as well as alumni.

I'd be real interested to see how much of the state of TX (to distinguish from the U of TX) TV market goes to the Sooners.

Probably not as much as we'd like to think. Even if, say 10%, of the TX state population are Sooner fans -- the reality is that if OU is not on TV they are going to watch UT. And that is mostly true for A&M, Tech, TCU, SMU, Rice, Houston, UTEP, UTSA, etc fans as well.


If UT is not on TV, how many of the UT, A&M, Tech, TCU, SMU, Rice, Houston, UTEP, UTSA, etc fans are going to watch us?

That's the essence of the argument.

[Jacie]

In the Grand Scheme of things . . .

[bluedogok]

I'd be real interested to see how much of the state of TX (to distinguish from the U of TX) TV market goes to the Sooners.

Probably not as much as we'd like to think. Even if, say 10%, of the TX state population are Sooner fans -- the reality is that if OU is not on TV they are going to watch UT. And that is mostly true for A&M, Tech, TCU, SMU, Rice, Houston, UTEP, UTSA, etc fans as well.


If UT is not on TV, how many of the UT, A&M, Tech, TCU, SMU, Rice, Houston, UTEP, UTSA, etc fans are going to watch us?

That's the essence of the argument.
Most of the ones I know here in Austin watch OU games if they are not opposite their school (UT, A&M or Tech fans that I know).